Matter Gallery

This is a wonderful art gallery located in downtown Olympia! I probably would not have discovered it for a while if a lady from my movie Meet Up group did not take me by here.
All of the art pieces are recycled from a previous form into an object of art.
There are some really cool paintings and shovels where the blades are carved into beautiful and intricate etchings on the blade themselves.
What really got me so excited was all the lamps in here for sale. There were so many different sized ones and all of them were reminded me of a certain landmark in Seattle. What would that be? Oh! The Space Needle! Those are what really impressed me and hopefully I can buy one for Christmas for Steven and myself.
The Matter Gallery is a gallery that I have been impressed with the most out of the handful of galleries I have been to since I moved to Washington.

I am an artist so I don’t buy art, I just trade art with other artists, but this gallery is beautiful. It’s well curated, has very low low prices on art and is just plain fun. The lady was very friendly and polite to us even though we made it clear we were just artists. You would do well to go here and buy your art because it’s fun and the best place to find welded and glass work which is scarce in my opinion. Their space needle floor lamp is practically a landmark.

I love MATTER!‘s new location on 422 Washington St. The selection of both decorative and functional items is fantastic. Jo Gallaugher was at the gallery the day I visited and answered all of my questions. She asked if I remember the larger sculptures at the first location. I did and then noticed there were fewer large pieces here. She chuckled and said having several large sculptures gave folks the impression that she operated a Museum and that the items were NOT for sale. She assured me that everything WAS for sale and she would be happy to tell me about each piece and the artist.
It is amazing how many things you can make with re-​claimed items. All of the art was fantastic. An artist even made what looked like papier mache babies, that were really babies made from tape and plastic bags. There are more outdoor friendly items available. I was excited to very tall, decorative garden stakes and medium-​sized animal sculptures that were also LED garden lights. MATTER! has a nice mixture of sculpture, practical items and paintings. There is even a Jenga-​like rock stacking game for sale. MATTER! also sells jewelry. I rubbed my hands with glee when I saw the display case.
I’m very glad I had the chance to visit the current location. Now I have an idea of things I will buy with my upcoming paycheck!

What an amazing gallery! I love the concept and the variety of artists shown here is almost overwhelming. There was so much to look at but there was something for every taste and price range. I came away with a lovely piece by Ann Vargas and an adorable wire bird. I will go back again soon to see the changing art. There were several other things I wanted but didn’t get. Maybe next time!

This place is amazing! It inspires me to reuse anything and everything. Even as a college student I can afford some awesome art and support local sustainable artists! Every time a friend visits I always show them Matter! no matter what!

I love MATTER! I live in Corvallis, OR, so I dont get there much, but I have bought two paintings from the gallery virtually, by viewing the pictures online. I highly recommend MATTER! and will visit every time I get to Olympia.

Overwhelming variety of art, mostly decorative, some practical items, such as lamps. The common thread is the re-​use of materials, which leaves the playing field wide open. If you can stop your head from spinning, you might come away with a gem. I loved the space-​needle-​themed lamps, personally, but I’ll be back for more non-​lamp items.